Jesse De La Cruz is an ex-convict raised in the barrios of California. At the age of twelve he began a journey that would eventually lead him to heroin addiction, crime, gangs and prison. He served approximately thirty years going in and out of the California prison system. After his final release from Folsom State Prison in 1996, he enrolled in college, graduated with his Baccalaureate in Sociology in 2001, a Master’s of Social Work Degree in 2003 and is now completing a Doctorate in Education. He is the founder of the Jonah Foundation, a sober living house for men transitioning from the inside to the outside world. He lives in Stockton, CA with his daughter and grandson.
